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A great man once said:
I just fundamentally don’t understand why you feel the need to spread the word about your training over every social media channel you’re on. Those photos of your feet on the pavement with your new fluorescent Nike Flyknits? Stop it. I care less about those than I care about your #RunnerProbs like rain, inconsiderate drivers, and chaffing nipples. No one’s making you do this.
Please, stop sharing your run times and distances with the Nike+ Running app to your Facebook. I don’t care about your Power Song. I don’t care about your route. I don’t care about the countdown to the “big day” or your pre-race pasta dinner.
That great man? It was me. This wasn’t out of jealousy or spite. It was simply out of sheer annoyance regarding anyone that feels the need to slap a 13.1 sticker on the back of their Volvo. So yeah, I have beef with runners and now I’ve got statistics to back my argument up.
Running USA did a study on runners born between 1980 and 2000 — over 15,000 people, 73 percent of them being female. The numbers went as follows:
Below is the percentage of runners planning to run in the following events the next year.
Marathon (42.2K): 30 per cent
Half-Marathon (21.1K): 82 per cent
10K: 66 per cent
5K: 61 per cent
Those numbers made me grin and chuckle while letting out a, “of course.” This is just classic. Too lazy to run a full marathon, they opt for half-marathons the most. Because, you know, it only takes a couple months of light training and eating right in order to get your body to the point where you can endure those 13.1 miles only to go back to an unhealthy lifestyle immediately following. I mean, I’m out of shape as hell and I know I could go run a 5K or 10K right now.
Simply put, a 5K says, “I’m bored this Saturday so let’s go out and be insufferable.” A 10K says, “This is a long enough distance that it’s acceptable for me to put it on all my social media channels.” And a half-marathon says, “I’m only doing this because I need to make good on my New Year’s Resolution.”
Furthermore, millennial runners are completely willing to cough up nearly $50 to participate in these things.
Money can be a deciding factor in a lot of cases and the study found that young adults are willing to pay between US$26-50 to register for a race.
The study adds that the “majority of millennial respondents indicated they would not be willing to pay for elements such as training groups, apps or spectator/VIP experiences.”
You know how much I’d pay? Nothing, because paying to run on a closed road is something I’ll fundamentally never understand. You can run trails, paths, or whatever next to these roads any day of the week for free. But when you cough up $50 for a piece of paper on your chest and a participation medal, all of the sudden you’re doing something amazing in the eyes of everyone double-tapping your Instagram.
And finally, the numbers showed that people are pretty much only doing these things for the social aspect of them.
Not surprisingly, the study finds that millennials focus on the experience of the race rather than awards and event sponsorship.
The study adds that respondents “are interested in events with quality branded items or giveaways (“swag” such as t-shirts, bags, etc.), on-course entertainment, post-event parties and the ability to participate with friends.”
“Oh, I get a lululemon water bottle and a Patagonia capilene shirt with the 10K’s logo on it? Of course I’ll do it!” — All the runners, probably. While I’m not going to roast people for wanting some free threads they can wear to an athleisure-centric lunch with their friends, it does verify my theory that no one’s really doing it for their health, just the social hoopla surrounding the races. It’s a place to be seen, a place to put on Instagram, and a place to justify the burgers and beers you’re going to pound immediately upon crossing the finish-line.
But honestly? I’ll probably do one of these in the next 365 days, especially if I can get a fly shirt out of it.
You can see the entire in-depth study here. .
[via Millennial Running Study / Running Magazine]
Image via Unsplash
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Will
Will (Twitter / Instagram) is the host of The Sunday Scaries Podcast.
@willdefries
@willdefries
defriewf
will@grandex.co
I shared this post with my sister who is an athleisure-centric Instagram runner. Long story short, she is now a butthurt athleisure-centric Instagram runner.
Hit us with her @, fam.
Running more than 3 miles is just showing off.
Putting a 13.1 mile sticker on your car it about as impressive as telling everyone you touched a real live booby once.
I still think cross-fit people are worse.
I despise them both but at least cross-fitters are genuinely doing it mostly for the sake of their health.
The only way its good for their health is if they preform their exercises properly. Which is about .5% of Crossfitters.
There definitely is a team aspect to an organized running event and a philanthropic aspect as well, which makes it much more fun. Just ran a half marathon for breast cancer this weekend to give it a shot plus momma is a survivor so it felt rewarding. Didn’t take one picture. Went home afterwards, rubbed one out and then napped for 4 hours.
Dang Will, didn’t know you were a racest
TGDAG: Sign Up for a Half Marathon
Not actually train for or complete. Just sign up.
I thought you of all people would understand “doing it for the Instagram”.
Pretty sure deFries is completely for that
I thought the same thing Will. I was a college athlete and thought I could just show up and crush a 5 or 10k no problem. Then I tried it… Turns out, once you hit 30, it takes a lot of work to pull off. I may be in the minority, but I have a ton of respect for serious runners.
I was a college athlete as well. I don’t run long distance, but funny thing, I stayed in relatively good shape and would absolutely crush a 5 or 10K. It has nothing to do with hitting 30, it has to do with having done nothing athletic since you were in college that takes its toll. I have respect for serious runners as I have respect for anyone that works a full time job, but also finds a way to work out regularly. I have no respect to runners who constantly brag about running, people who constantly brag about working out in general, and people who have turned working out into their job – and make it like I am supposed to be impressed that they are in good shape when that is…wait for it…literally their job.
Oh I have stayed in shape, but if you don’t run, the joint pain and shin splints you get when you first head out will cripple you regardless of what you can do in a gym and in my case, on an erg. I agree with what I think you are trying to say though. I would just love to see Will film himself doing a 10K. Here’s looking at you deFries…
Don’t knock it till you try it.
I think I’m going to knock it.
I really don’t understand the negativity. Most people do the things they do in life for the social aspect, so what if they’re getting in shape in the process.
A wise man once told me that if you constantly brag about your life, you probably aren’t that satisfied with it to begin with.
If you do something incredibly mundane for the attention, you deserve to be made fun of. Sorry.
Haha then everyone with an Instagram who isn’t a Kardashian or Dan Bilzerian deserves to made fun of. Let’s be honest brunch with #squad is nothing that needs to be shared with anyone.
Wait why would I not make fun of Dan Bilzerian
I have no idea. This thread really got away from me.
You are…not wrong. Neither is this article.
I ran cross country in high school and kept it up through college to offset weekend drinking and remember being lambasted for running “competitively” and “for my health”. Now people want a pat on the back for snails-pace 10k finishes. I can’t stand our generation sometimes.